Cloth-shrinking machine.



PATHNTHD DHC. 1o, 19o?. A. BLOCH. CLOTH SHRINKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.12, 1907. 5 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

cm, wasnmamlv, n. c.

' PATENTED DEG. 1o, 1907.

No. 873,656V

A. BLOCH. CLOTH SHRINKING MACHINE..

APPLICATION FILED 15.11.12, 1907.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1H: mmms PETERS co., wAsmNaroH, u4 c.

No. 873,656/ PATENTED DEC. 1o,"19o7.

A. BLOCH.

CLOTH SHRINKING MACHINE..

. APPLIoATIoN FILED 511111.12, 1907.

5 SHEETS-SHEET a.

lic. rus mams Pneus ca., wAsHmcroN.

PATENTED DEC. 10,.190'1 5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

l lNNLOCII. CLOTH SHRINKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 12, 1907.

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No. 873,656. PATENTED DEC. 10, 1907. A. BLOCH. v CLOTH SHRINKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 12, 1907.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

ALBERT BLOCH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. l

CLOTH-SHRINKING- MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 10, 1907.

Application filed January 1-2. 1907. Serial No. 351.953.

T o all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT BLOCH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cloth-Shrinking Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in cloth shrinking machines, and has for one of its objects to provide a machine whereby cloth in large quantities may be economically handled in treatment to shrink the' same.

A further object of my invention is to pro` vide a machine of the character described embodying means for preliminarily steaming the cloth in single-ply arrangement in transit from roll to roll, and subsequently resteaming it while rolled in .many layers.

Another' object of my invention is to provide a machine for Alirst steaming the cloth and subseqi'iently brushing it to restore the nap to proper condition after it is sufficiently dry, without removing the cloth from the machine. A

A yet further object of my invention is to provide a machine of the character described wherein the cloth, in the napping operation, may be wound in superposed layers upon a roll in convenient manner for disposition, and yet may be presented to the napping means at a constant or invariable speed irrespective of the size of the roll of goods from which or to which the cloth is passing.

Another object of my invention is to provide a generally improved machine of the character described, and yet further objects4 of my invention will become apparent tol those skilled in the art from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein;

Figure 1 is a side elevation of my-improved machine. Fio'. 2 is a central, vertical section therethrough, showing the cloth undergoing a preliminary steaming Fig. 3 is a similar view showing jthe cloth in the process of the napping operation; Fig. 4 is a plan view of the machine with parts broken away; Fig. 5 is a detail of a clutch; Figs. 6 and 7 are detail elevations from opposite points of a roller adjusting means; Figs. 8 and 9 are detail elevations from different points of the rollersupporting and adjusting device,` and; Fig. 10 is a detail section with parts in elevation of a clutch.

Throughout the drawings like numerals of reference refer always to like parts.

In the drawings 11 indicates a suitable frame work affording support adjacent its longitudinal center to a steaming drum, or cylinder, adjacent one end to the holders for the original or delivery roll, the initial steaming appliances and a friction tension device,

and adjacent its opposite end to power appliances, the receiving roll and the napping apparatus.

Specifically 12, 12 indicate hangers secured to one end of the machine and affording support to the free end of a shaft 13 of a delivery roll 14, whereon is wound in its original condition material to be treated.

15, 16, 17 and 18 indicate guide rollers over which cloth may be drawn from the delivery roll 14, such rollers being mounted in a suitable manner in brackets on a frame eX- tension 19. The frame extension 19 also carries a steaming pan, or tray 20 having therein a removable distributing plate 21, perforated as at 22, for the escape -of steam, and arranged with its open top substantially in alinement with the guiding surfaces of rollers 17 and 18.

23 indicates a steam pipe traversing the pan or tray 20 beneath the distributer 21, and suitably perforated as at 24 for the escape of steam. It will be understood that the inlet end of the pipe 23 communicates with some suitable source of steam supply and that its opposite end is closed.

26 indicates a roller which operates both as a guide roller and a fricton brake for controlling the tension on the cloth, such roller being mounted at eachend in a bracket 27 having associated therewith a brake coml prising two arms 28 and 28, pivoted as at 29 (see Fig. 8) and adjustable relative to each other through the medium of an adjusting screw 30. The shaft end bears between the two arms. Manifestly by adjustment of the screw 30 the tension on the shaft of the roller 26 may be varied and its freedom for rotation accordingly adjusted.

31 indicates a guiding roller between the brake roller 26 and the steaming drum or cylinder 32. The steaming drum 32, mounted approximately at the4 middle of the frame, comprising a 'central tubular shaft 33 perforated as at 34; headers 35 rotatable with the shaft; and a cylinder 36 minutely perforated at close intervals as at 37, and having I provide in connection with the rotatable at one end a larger water escape aperture 37. brush 57 adjustable guide rollers 67 and 68.

The heads have projecting therefrom hubs 38 mounted in suitable brackets 39. It will be understood that one end of the tubular shaft 33 connects with the source of steam supply, and at the other end thereof is closed.

Rotation maybe imparted to the drum 36 either by hand or by power, and to this end I secure upon one extremity of a hub 38 a hand crank 40 and mount thereon one element of a power transmission device and a clutch for connecting or disconnecting the same with the shaft.

Specifically 41 indicates a sprocket wheel loosely mounted on the hub 38, and provided with square teeth 42 to constitute one element of a clutch, operable in either direction of rotation. f

43 indicates the other element of the clutch connected with the hub 38 for rotation'therewith, and longitudinal movement relative thereto, as by a feather 44.

45 indicates a hand wheel made integral with or otherwise associated with the toothed portion'43 of said clutch member, so that said member may be conveniently moved by hand into or out of position for coaction with the clutch teeth 42.

46 indicates a receiving roll mounted adjacent to what I Amay term the rear end of the machine, said roll having a shaft 46', the

ends whereof are positioned in elongated slots 47 in suitable vertical brackets 48. To drive thereceiving roll 46 I provide a power shaft 50, carrying a roller 50', arranged to be driven in any suitable manner as through pulleys 51 and mounted in the frame pieces 48 directly below the roll 46, for contact therewith, or with material upon such receiving roll. Upon the shaft 50 I mount a driving sprocket 52 connected as by a chain 53 with a large sprocket 54 suitably supported, and carrying a smaller sprocket 55 geared by chain 56 with the sprocket 41 associated with the steaming cylinder shaft, heretofore described.

Between the cylinder 36 and receiving roll 46 I provide a napping device, comprising a rotary brush 57 having a shaft 57 mounted on a bracket 58 provided with horizontally extending arms 59, and arranged to be driven from the power shaft through the intermediary of gears 60 and 61 upon the driving shaft and brush shaft respectively, and a connecting chain 62. The gear 61 may be connected with or disconnected from the shaft of the brush by means of a clutch, best shown in Fig. 5, said gear being loosely mounted on the shaft provided with angular teeth 63, adapted to be engaged by coacting teeth 64 of a clutch member slidable upon but rotatable with the brush shaft, and provided with a hand wheel 65 for effecting such sliding movement.

In the construction shown for effecting such adjustment the bracket arms 59 are provided with vertically elongated, slotted heads 69 in which slide bearing pieces 70 vertically adjustable by means of screws 71 engaging the same, and which at their upper end are connected with beveled gears 72 turning in suitable bearing pieces 73, as best shown in Fig. 7. rlhe two beveled gears 72 for the pair of adjusting pieces supporting the shaft of each roller, are connected together for simultaneous adjustment through a shaft 75 extending transversely of the machine and j ournaled in suitable supports 76, such shaft bearing gears 77 c-oacting with the beveled gears 72 and being provided at some suitable point with a hand wheel 78 for convenient movement of the shaft. Now it will be apparent that as the hand wheel 78 is turned power is communicated through the gearing 77, 72, to the screws 71 to vertically move the sliding bearings 70 supporting the roller shaft, and that accordinglyeither roller 67 or 68 may be vertically 'adj usted relative to the brush 57.

80, 80 indicate hangers for supporting the shaft of the receiving roll, mounted upon the frame members 48.

81 indicates a drip tank suitably disposed below the cylinder 36, adjacent the end thereof having the aperture 37 therein.

The operation of my machine is as follows: Cloth wound upon a delivery roll 14 is-.placed in a machine and led through the path best indicatedin Fig. 2, over the guide roll 15, under and over roller 16, across roller 17 above the top of the tray 20, down under the brake roller 26 over the guide roller 31, down around the steaming cylinder 36. The ma terial is started upony the cylinder 36 by hand, the hand wheel 45 being withdrawn to open the clutch and then the crank 40 turned to rotate the cylinder without moving the power appliances. Obviously this hand turning may be effected at any time when it is deemed desirable in the course of the operation, or after the machine is started in operation the clutch may be thrown closed and the cylinder rotated by power. As the cloth is in transit from the delivery roll to the `steaming cylinder, steam may be introduced through the steam pipe 23, to escape through outlets 24 and the apertures 22 inthe distributing plate 21, steaming the cloth as it passes over the pan in single ply arrangement. The cloth thus steamed is drawn upon the cylinder under tension, which may to a degree be regulated by the adjustment of the bearing for the brake roller 26 which creates more or less of a drag upon the cloth. Thus the cloth may be tightly wound in a steamed condition upon the cylinder and there subjected to the further action of steam ceiving roll or cylinder 36.

entering through the tubular shaft 32 and nding outlet through the perforations 37. I have found that the bulk of the water of condensation escapes readily through the aperture 37', at one end of the machine, to drop into the drip pan below. After having been duly steamed in rolled arrangement upon the cylinder, and suitably dried thereon, the cloth is drawn from such cylinder and wound upon a receiving roll 46. To this end the free extremity of the cloth is led under the `guide roller 67 over guide roller 68, between the driving shaft roller 50 and the receiving roll 46 and around the receiving roll. Now it will be apparent that as the power shaft is rotated the power shaft roller 50 is driven at a constant speed, and the cloth is with# drawn from the steam cylinder,now freed by its clutch and acting as a delivery roll, at a practically uniform rate, irrespective of the diameter of the rolled goods, either on the re- This, it will be seen, is due to the fact that the roll 46 is frictionally driven through the goods itself, the roll shaft sliding vertically in its slots 47, to compensate for the increased diameter of the roll. This rolling of the goods I have found imparts firmness thereto when completely dried. If desired the material thus being transferred from the steam cylinder to the delivery roll may be brushed to properly condition its nap, the adjustment-of guide rollers 67 and 68 permitting movement of an intermediate portion of the goods toward or from the brush to determine the intensity of the operation thereof. If the brush is not to be used the clutch 6l is thrown out of operation so that the brush and its shaft remain stationary.

It is sometimes desirable to wind more or less of the goods which have been wrapped upon the receiving roll back upon the steam cylinder for further steaming, and to permit of this operation I provide the hangers S0 into which the shaft of the receiving roll may be dropped, so it may turn easily without affecting the power devices.

I/Vhile I have herein described in some detail a specific embodiment of my invention which I have employed in practice and have found successful in operation, I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the4 specific structure shown and described, as it dll be obvious that departures may be made in the particular construction without de parture from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, of the United States, is:

1. In a machine of the character described, a frame, a centrally supported steam cylinder, adjacent one end of the frame a delivery roll, and adjacent the opposite end of the frame a receiving roll, and napping devices intermediate the receiving roll and the steaming cylinder.

2. In a machine of the character described,

a frame, a steam cylinder, a delivery roll arranged to deliver material to the steam cylinder, a receiving roll whereon fabric may be wound from the steam cylinder, a driving roll arranged to frictionally drive the receiving roll through the fabric being wound thereon, means for imparting power to said driving roll, and positive gearing, including a clutch, between the driving roll and steam cylinder, whereby the steam cylinder may be positively driven to draw material from the delivery roll and rotated by the material when the material is being transferred to the receiving roll.

3. In a machine of the character described,

a frame, a centrally supported steam cylinder, a delivery roll adjacent one end of the frame, a receiving roll adjacent the other end `of the frame, a driving roll for frictionally driving the receiving roll, and driving means including a clutch for positively connecting the driving roll and steam cylinder.

4. In a machine of the character described, a frame, a centrally supported steam cylinder, adjacent one end of the frame a delivery roll, between the delivery roll and cylinder a steaming tray, adjacent the other end of the frame a receiving roll, and between the receiving roll and steaming cylinder napping devices. j

5. In a machine of the character described, a steaming cylinder, a receiving roll, means foriivng said receiving roll, a napping brush, means for driving said brush, guides for directing the fabric in passage from the cylinder tothe receiving roll to said napping brush, and means for adjusting said guides to control the operation of the brush upon the fabric.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT BLOCH.

In the presence of- GEO. T. MAY, Jr., MARY F. ALLEN. 

